Cadences of Sacrifice Anonymous College

Music has historically been a means of expression and a way of portraying the conditions of the time in which it was written, and the feelings and circumstances of the person by which it was created. This way of expression through music can be seem in the poem "Burying blues for Janis," by Marge Piercy; in this poem, Janis Joplin is portrayed as pouring her soul out, through her music, and the poem casts her in a different light than society typically saw her. The words of the poem portray Janis as a strong voice which recounts the hardship that women must endure in men-women relationships. Similarly to Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell is another timeless and unique voice that describes the relationships between men and women, particularly during the 1960's and 1970's (Hedley 17). Through their lyrics, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell describe the condition of women in the 1960's and 1970's, and more specifically of themselves, as needing to sacrifice themselves and their own happiness in their romantic relationships. Many songs by these musicians, including but not limited to, "Piece of My Heart," and "The Last Time," by Janis Joplin and "I Had a King," and "The Gallery" by Joni Mitchell describe or allude to the sacrificial nature...